The Future of Work In Cities

The latest report in our City of the Future series examines societal shifts and advancements in technology that are impacting the rapidly changing American workforce. The report outlines solutions to help city leaders plan for the fast-approaching future, while forecasting the economic viability of two distinct sectors – retail and office administration – in which a quarter of Americans are currently employed

A perspective on the Healthgrid initiative

This paper presents a perspective on the Healthgrid initiative which involves European projects deploying pioneering applications of grid technology in the health sector. In the last couple of years, several grid projects have been funded on health related issues at national and European levels. A crucial issue is to maximize their cross fertilization in the context of an environment where data of medical interest can be stored and made easily available to the different actors in healthcare, physicians, healthcare centres and administrations, and of course the citizens. The Healthgrid initiative, represented by the Healthgrid association (http://www.healthgrid.org), was initiated to bring the necessary long term continuity, to reinforce and promote awareness of the possibilities and advantages linked to the deployment of GRID technologies in health. Technologies to address the specific requirements for medical applications are under development. Results from the DataGrid and other projects are given as examples of early applications.Comment: 6 pages, 1 figure. Accepted by the Second International Workshop on Biomedical Computations on the Grid, at the 4th IEEE/ACM International Symposium on Cluster Computing and the Grid (CCGrid 2004). Chicago USA, April 200

Creative Collaborative Circular Economics, Exponential System Design for Sustainability in Fashion Design

Associação com Universidade do Minho | Escola de Engenhariaapproaches and contributions from design to sustainability aiming to raise responsiveness and awareness among fashion design students and local communities about the conscious and sustainable production and consumption of fashion product". This thesis fits in the area of design, especially in the applicability of the multidisciplinary way of thinking, creativity, empathy and experimentation that is part of the design thinking methodology with the consumer as the starting point and centre of attention, and its interrelations with social innovation, environmental sustainability, fashion design considering the entire life cycle of products, services and systems. Undergraduate and Master of Fashion Design students at the University of Beira Interior develop collection projects and the (coordinated) clothes are kept in a closed warehouse, only eventually attending some events. Thus, the following opportunities were perceived: (i) Environmental Dimension: Promote a better designation and destination for these clothes; (ii) Collaborative Economy: Reuse through a new P2P business model; (iii) Social innovation: Sensitize and make society aware of new business models, contributing to and increasing the importance of the designer in the way of thinking and seeking creative solutions to social and environmental problems. What could one do with these practically stored clothes without public accessibility? Here are the reasons for a proposal to implement a new business model in Covilhã, Portugal. This thesis proposes the business model “Exponential System Design for Sustainability in Fashion” that can be called Exponential since it is scalable and modular, collaborative and sustainable services in fashion products. It may be replicable in its entirety, or in parts, in other places and contexts, adopting modularity as an adaptive resource. Initially identifies whether the perceived barriers to traditional Portuguese consumer behavior. But, for the new generation is a matter of awareness, as Portugal is also receiving influences from other cultures. Accelerating sustainable development requires a paradigm shift in terms of the production process in order to migrate from a linear to a circular economy. This comprises changing habits, mindsets and methods rooted in society. So far in terms of territorial innovation, there is no knowledge of business models that replace access property with the stated characteristics.objetivo geral da tese consiste em “sistematizar um modelo integrador com abordagens e contribuições do design para a sustentabilidade visando promover a sensibilização e conscientização dos estudantes de design de moda e das comunidades locais, sobre a produção e o consumo consciente e sustentável do produto de moda”. Esta tese insere-se na área do design, especialmente na aplicabilidade do modo de pensar multidisciplinar, criatividade, empatia e experimentação que faz parte da metodologia design thinking tendo o consumidor como ponto de partida e centro de atenção, e nas suas inter-relações com a inovação social, sustentabilidade ambiental, design de moda considerando todo o ciclo de vida de produtos, serviços e sistemas. Os alunos da licenciatura e do mestrado em Design de Moda na Universidade da Beira Interior desenvolvem projetos de coleção e as roupas (coordenados) ficam guardadas num armazém fechado, vindo só eventualmente a participarem em alguns eventos. Assim, percebeu-se as seguintes oportunidades: (i) Dimensão Ambiental: Promover uma melhor designação e destinação para essas roupas; (ii) Economia colaborativa: Reutilização através de novo modelo de negócio P2P; (iii) Inovação social: Sensibilizar e conscientizar a sociedade para novos modelos de negócio vindo a contribuir e ampliar a importância do designer no modo de pensar e de buscar soluções criativa para os problemas socioambiental. O que se poderia fazer com estas roupas praticamente armazenadas sem a apreciação do público? Eis aí as razões para uma proposta de implantação de um novo modelo de negócio em Covilhã, Portugal. Esta tese propõe o modelo de negócio “Design de Sistema Exponencial para a Sustentabilidade na Moda” chamamos de Exponencial por ser escalável e modular, com prestação de serviços eco-eficientes, colaborativos e sustentáveis em produtos de moda. Ele poderá ser replicável na sua totalidade, ou por partes, em outros lugares e contextos, adotando-se, para isso, a modularidade como recurso adaptativo. Inicialmente identifica se as barreiras percebidas ao comportamento do consumidor português tradicional. Porém na nova geração é uma questão de conscientização, Portugal também está a receber influências de outras culturas. Acelerar o desenvolvimento sustentável requer uma mudança do paradigma em termos do processo produtivo, a fim de migrar de uma economia linear para uma economia circular. Trata-se de mudar hábitos, mentalidades e métodos enraizados na sociedade. Até o momento em termos de inovação territorial não há conhecimento de modelos de negócios que substituam a propriedade de acesso com estas características

A value chain approach to support Southeast Asian economic regionalism

This article includes an exploration of the economic data sets of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Statistics, the World Bank, and the International Monetary Fund, as well as primary regional economic initiatives and agreements to assess the strategic indicators of economic regionalism using thematic analysis. The aim of this research is to determine how Southeast Asian regionalism can circumvent vulnerabilities to another economic crisis in North America and the European Union. To correct such financial vulnerabilities, ASEAN has significantly remolded the region into a single market consisting of a 10-nation integrated production base. The ASEAN Economic Community's main pillars are the establishment of a regional economic foundation based on comprehensive investment initiatives; the liberalization of capital markets, tariffs, and professional labor; infrastructure connectivity; regional policy integration; and free trade agreements to create a regional value chain as part of a single market and production base. The more attainable this comprehensive value-capture-and-integration process becomes, the more attractive it will appear to the global economic investment community and for business opportunities to establish a robust regional foundation. Although the process appears straightforward, capturing value is not a single phenomenon or method, but rather a multifaceted phenomenon, as explored in this study. The regional integration model seeks profitability within effective cross-border production networks and regional liberalization

A Social Network Analysis of Active Transportation Policy Networks

Background: In an effort to increase physical activity, communities are recognizing the importance of policy and environmental changes to facilitate active transportation. However, evidence on the policy partnerships and processes to achieve such policy and environmental changes, particularly in non-health sectors, is lacking. Methods: An online social network survey was administered in Fall 2015 to organizations engaged in active transportation policies in six cities across the United States. In addition to individual and organizational characteristics, relationships between organizations were assessed, including: level of collaboration around active transportation policies, frequency of contact, resource sharing to support active transportation, and perceived decisional power of partnering organizations. Descriptive and inferential network analyses were conducted. Results: An average of 25 individuals at 22 organizations in each city participated in the online survey, with a total of 149 respondents. Organization types represented in the full sample included: advocacy/nonprofit, local government, local transit agencies, metropolitan planning organizations, planning/engineering firms, public health, state and federal transportation organizations, and academic institutions. In all six cities, the likelihood of active transportation policy collaboration increased when organizations communicated at least quarterly. In half of the cities, the probability of active transportation policy collaboration increased when resources were exchanged between two agencies. In half of the cities, active transportation policy collaboration was more likely to occur when organizations were perceived as having decisional authority around active transportation policies. Conclusion: Information on the policy partnerships that exist around active transportation policies can help researchers, practitioners, policymakers, and advocates more effectively work together across diverse sectors to support active transportation

From Public Value to Social Value of Digital Government: Co-Creation and Social Innovation in European Union Initiatives

This paper discusses the development of key features in European Union policy and service redesign, based on social innovative practices where co-creation and the related phenomenon of digital social innovation have a high potential impact. The idea underneath this claim is that information and communication technologies are becoming increasingly pervasive in the design, development and delivery of social innovation and co-creation initiatives which should not be limited to service delivery, rather serve as the driver for opening-up governance systems and change the way public organizations are structured and policy designed and implemented. Consequently, the paper discusses the key elements identified for setting up open and collaborative governance systems, while, taking stock from the analysis of policy experiences and practices funded by the European Commission, an overview of main drivers and barriers are presented. The paper concludes outlining recommendations for future research, as well as implications and possible directions for policy

Geoinformation, Geotechnology, and Geoplanning in the 1990s

Over the last decade, there have been some significant changes in the geographic information available to support those involved in spatial planning and policy-making in different contexts. Moreover, developments have occurred apace in the technology with which to handle geoinformation. This paper provides an overview of trends during the 1990s in data provision, in the technology required to manipulate and analyse spatial information, and in the domain of planning where applications of computer technology in the processing of geodata are prominent. It draws largely on experience in western Europe, and in the UK and the Netherlands in particular, and suggests that there are a number of pressures for a strengthened role for geotechnology in geoplanning in the years ahead

Envisioning Digital Europe 2030: Scenarios for ICT in Future Governance and Policy Modelling

The report Envisioning Digital Europe 2030 is the result of research conducted by the Information Society Unit of IPTS as part of the CROSSROAD Project - A Participative Roadmap on ICT research on Electronic Governance and Policy Modelling (www.crossroad-eu.net ). After outlining the purpose and scope of the report and the methodological approach followed, the report presents the results of a systematic analysis of societal, policy and research trends in the governance and policy modelling domain in Europe. These analyses are considered central for understanding and roadmapping future research on ICT for governance and policy modelling. The study further illustrates the scenario design framework, analysing current and future challenges in ICT for governance and policy modelling, and identifying the key impact dimensions to be considered. It then presents the scenarios developed at the horizon 2030, including the illustrative storyboards representative of each scenario and the prospective opportunities and risks identified for each of them. The scenarios developed are internally consistent views of what the European governance and policy making system could have become by 2030 and of what the resulting implications for citizens, business and public services would be. Finally, the report draws conclusions and presents the proposed shared vision for Digital Europe 2030, offering also a summary of the main elements to be considered as an input for the future development of the research roadmap on ICT for governance and policy modelling.JRC.DDG.J.4-Information Societ

Open educational resources : conversations in cyberspace

172 p. : ill. ; 25 cm.Libro ElectrónicoEducation systems today face two major challenges: expanding the reach of education and improving its quality. Traditional solutions will not suffice, especially in the context of today's knowledge-intensive societies. The Open Educational Resources movement offers one solution for extending the reach of education and expanding learning opportunities. The goal of the movement is to equalize access to knowledge worldwide through openly and freely available online high-quality content. Over the course of two years, the international community came together in a series of online discussion forums to discuss the concept of Open Educational Resources and its potential. This publication makes the background papers and reports from those discussions available in print.--Publisher's description.A first forum : presenting the open educational resources (OER) movement. Open educational resources : an introductory note / Sally Johnstone -- Providing OER and related issues : an introductory note / Anne Margulies, ... [et al.] -- Using OER and related issues : in introductory note / Mohammed-Nabil Sabry, ... [et al.] -- Discussion highlights / Paul Albright -- Ongoing discussion. A research agenda for OER : discussion highlights / Kim Tucker and Peter Bateman -- A 'do-it-yourself' resource for OER : discussion highlights / Boris Vukovic -- Free and open source software (FOSS) and OER -- A second forum : discussing the OECD study of OER. Mapping procedures and users / Jan Hylén -- Why individuals and institutions share and use OER / Jan Hylén -- Discussion highlights / Alexa Joyce -- Priorities for action. Open educational resources : the way forward / Susan D'Antoni